It was I, specifically, more than Sharon, who chose the Ocala area. Although we both have friends around this area, I was also interested in other criteria. I wanted something far enough away from larger cities so that traffic wouldn't be an issue, and yet close enough to shopping and resources to be convenient. We knew that the population had grown considerably since we were last here 24 years ago, but we were hoping it wouldn't be too bad. We had no intention of settling within city limits anyway, as we prefer a more rural setting.
Although the climate all over Florida is generally warm and humid, there are minor differences from extreme north to extreme south. Since we were going to be here at least through a summer, and likely a winter, we needed a compromise... not too warm in the summer and not too cold in the winter... nor too expensive.
Knowing that Florida also gets occasional hurricanes, requiring rare evacuation of affected areas, I wanted to make sure that we were far enough north to escape most hurricanes, as well as being more inland, and also to make an easier escape to points farther north if we would ever have to. We decided that anything north of Orlando was fine. After all, it's less than a day's drive to anything else.
There are also economic differences as well. Prices tend to go up the farther south you go, and also the closer to the coasts you go, because of more tourists and winter visitors wanting those areas.
Of course, we also took into consideration many other things... distance to other areas of the country we need or want to visit (such as Indiana and the East Coast)... availability and cost of goods and services... and even crime rates (see City-data.com for all kinds of statistics for any city in the country). We also considered what type of setting we wanted to live in.
Neither of us are "water people", so being near a beach or lake has no special interest for us. Not that we don't enjoy walking a nice beach or doing a little boating... but it isn't important enough to us to pay the higher prices to live there. We enjoy the forests and the diversity of animals that live there. The pine forests, whether in the south or in the west, are especially inviting to us.
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| A typical RV park among the tall pines. |
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| General location of Ocala and Silver Springs within the state of Florida. |
Although I prefer places that have proper web sites, if I don't find something suitable, I will settle for a phone number and a review. I will make a call, and even a visit if necessary, to find out what the place actually looks like. But if it's too much trouble to find, I won't even bother with it. In this day and age, any place that doesn't have a web presence and do proper promotion, probably isn't worth my time to mess with. They will simply lose my business.
Other online tools that come in handy (and save wasted trips) are Google Earth, from which I can just input a street address and see a satellite view of the park, as well as topography of the area. I also use Google Maps to visualize how to get there, and Google Streets, from which I can usually get a street view of what the front of the place looks like. Photographs don't lie, but they could be outdated. These three tools allow me to choose places that are out of congested areas, out of flood-prone areas, and avoid run-down parks (or those next to junk yards, landfills or other undesirable elements), and much more even before I make a phone call to them.
Once I find a park, I Google it specifically to get more detailed information, and I click on the "images" link at the top of the Google page to see if there are other photos of the park in question, including a site map of the park, so I can see the exact layout and amenities.
Excuse my rant...
I know some people will swear by some of the groups on Facebook, and how helpful people are, but I tend to swear at them. I have dropped out of many of them because they are a total waste of my time, with all their bickering and drama. Mostly what I see is the blind trying to lead the blind, often inputting comments that are uselessly redundant (because they don't bother to read previous comments), totally useless and/or off topic, and many times just plain wrong. Some people feel a need to jump into conversations on topics that they know nothing about, just to see their words in print... the same way some people have to be running their mouth all the time, without saying anything useful or stopping to listen and learn.
I have never understood why people don't use the search form on Google (or whatever search engine they prefer)! The answers provided on the results pages are far more accurate and concise than anything I have ever found on Facebook comments, and without all the bickering and drama! But to each his own, and enough of my rant.
After extensive search of the area within a hundred miles or so of the Ocala area, we found ourselves checking out a small RV park that seemed to meet all of our criteria. The name doesn't say "resort" in it, which was fine with us. A "resort" implies a lot of expensive amenities that we don't use. All we want is an inexpensive place to park long term, with electric, close to but not in a city, and that doesn't allow a lot of run-down residences... or residents... and yet is flexible with allowing RVs (and other camping rigs) that are more than ten years old (but in good shape). Anything beyond that, we consider a bonus.
While Sharon's sister was here in late February, we took the opportunity to visit the park in question and do a quick drive-through (which actually turned out to be more of a walk-through). The owners were out of the park on that day, but they had a very nice host greet us and provide all the literature we needed for our initial investigation. Nothing surprised us during this visit. It was all exactly as described on their web site and most recent user reviews.
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| It's always nice to have some nature within a community setting. |
Remember... what happened two years ago has little to do with what is happening today. If reviews have improved during recent months, give the owners/managers a chance to prove themselves. It takes time for a new owner or manager to clean up problem properties... to boot out undesirable tenants and employees, and to fix the property up to expected standards.
Commercial properties tend to run like a roller coaster. One company will milk it dry and put little back into it, and then sell it with nothing more than normal appreciation and their milked profits. The next owner will put money back into it to fix it up and make their profit from the increased value due to the improvements. Both methods make money for the owners, but which cycle do you want to be in when you live there? Think about it!
If a new owner has money to dump into a property, many changes can be made quickly. Typically, that will only happen with larger properties under corporate ownership. Smaller properties are often owned by individuals just like you or I, who buy a small business and hope to improve it through hard work, rather than just throwing money at it. A good manager doesn't sit on their butt in their office... they are out on the grounds every day, taking an active part in improving it. Any improvements have to come from hard work and profits, and can only be done as money becomes available.
When a property is in a seasonal area, it makes it even harder to get things done. Here in the south, the winter season is normally the busiest for RV parks. The majority of their income is collected between November 1st and March 31st. That income must be saved and spread out through the rest of the summer, when the actual income can drop to as little as 20% of what it was through the winter. Anyone who has ever run a seasonal business or had to rely on income that was only collected at certain times of the year, will understand what the RV parks are facing.
When parks are not managed properly they get desperate for income during the slow times and often bend the rules on who can come into them. Just because someone has good credit and can pay their bills every month doesn't mean that they are automatically a desirable element for community living. If a park starts allowing slobs to come in and clutter up their campsites with junk, it is only going to destroy the park. Such living conditions also invite other undesirable people with other problems, such as drugs and crime. Once those conditions are allowed to become commonplace, it is hard to get rid of them. This is why so many nicer parks have strict rules on what is allowed to be outside in the patio area.
Thankfully, we have seen only good things in this small park. The owners seem to be trying to improve it. The few amenities they have seem to be well-maintained, and even during the summer months, the owner and one maintenance man, plus one part-time cleaning lady are out doing other things besides mowing lawns. That's a good indication that management is doing their job properly. Larger projects can always be done when the busy season starts, and they have more income and staff to handle them.
The long-term residents that stay during the summer tend to keep to themselves, as do we. "Official" activities are on hold between April 1st and October 31st, so even though the clubhouse remains open to use, there isn't much to do there, other than read from a small reading library and put puzzles together. That will undoubtedly change when the winter season starts. We have a copy of the last activity sheet from last season, and there are ample activities available... more than we will take part in.
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| For us... a perfect-sized clubhouse for small groups. |
If you only need a place during the peak season, expect to pay the highest rate they can apply to your site. If you are wanting a place year-round, ask if they will keep the off season monthly rate through the peak season. Some parks will and some won't. At most, you may have to pay a year in advance to get the special rate, but it will be worth it if you can come up with that much money in advance... and plan to stay that long.
Nearly all parks offer weekly, monthly and yearly rates, even though they may not advertise them. If you don't see them on their web site or print advertising, don't be afraid to ask. And if you have any doubt at all, try to pay a visit to the park before committing to anything.
Web sites and print advertising can often be very deceptive. Beautiful photos can be taken from archives before a park becomes run down. Ownership/management might have changed, after which the situation could go from bad to worse. Or, it could even go the other way, and improve! Only a personal visit will tell you whether it is someplace you want to be... or not.
Renting space or buying a site... which is better?
We have done both, so we have a little insight on that topic. We used to own a deeded site at a Yogi Bear park in Indiana. The problem was one of foresight. We thought we would get more use out of it than we did. As it turned out, we only got to use it for a couple weeks in the spring and fall. The place was winterized (as in no water) from October to April. But between taxes and maintenance fees, the cost of ownership was not practical for us and we sold it within a couple of years, and got what we paid for it.
So the only thing we lost was the monthly maintenance fee, which I believe was $60 a month at that time (early 90s). Our lot was about 60 x 80. and mostly grass, which they mowed twice a month, and trimmed the bushes along the fence a couple times a year, so the price was reasonable. We maintained everything else (split-log fence on three sides, 10 x 20 deck and storage building) whenever we were there. The taxes were about $600 a year. On a monthly average, that amounts to about $110 per month, which is very reasonable. Even if you prorate it to the six months it was actually usable, that's still reasonable. But remember, that was over 20 years ago, and the prices have probably gone up since then.
However, if we could find a similar place in a southern state that was open year-round, and that we felt comfortable with living there full-time, I wouldn't have a problem with owning a RV lot again. It would have to be in a place where we could come and go with our RV as we wished, and probably have a nice deck and storage building, with enough separation between us and our neighbors that we didn't feel like we were crowded.
Our corner lot at Yogi Bear was like that. I have yet to find another like it in a suitable location, and with suitable management. If anyone knows of any places in central to northern Florida, New Mexico, or Arizona, outside of major cities, where the resort has lots for sale, please let us know in the comments.
Some may not have the money to put out to buy a property outright, in which case renting a place long-term might seem like a better way to go. Just remember, that any rent money is basically down the drain. Yes, you get the temporary use of something for that expense, but only the renter can decide if it's worth it. And when renting, the rates can be changed at any time if you don't have a proper lease for a certain period of time.
Just don't over-pay for amenities that you will never use. Some people think that the only way to RV is to go into a park four feet away from the next unit and get involved in all the activities the park provides. Others just want to get away from those kinds of situations entirely and the people who create them, and enjoy the peace and quiet that nature provides. Know what your own choice is before you make long term commitments to anything.
No matter what, the nice thing about RV living is that RVs are "mobile". If you don't like the conditions, it doesn't take long to leave and go somewhere else!
In the next post, I'll be giving a thorough review of the RV park we are currently in. Don't worry, I won't be influenced by the fact that we are living here. I tend to be brutally honest, as you have seen from my previous posts!
As always, let me hear your comments. Thank you for reading, and thank you for the clicks on our links. We appreciate anything we get from them.
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